Sign of success?

Education, most experts agree, is the key to long-term economic success. Countries that want to compete successfully in the globalized economy need highly-educated, highly-skilled workforces.

Another commonly held view is that scientific education is increasingly important, for example for the chemical and life science sectors and for all forms of engineering. And underlying many scientific subjects is mathematics, which is also an important basic skill for all citizens.

Last week, the results of Britain's school-leaving exams ("A levels") were announced. They showed that, across all subjects, 26.7 per cent of students — a record — achieved the highest grade ("A"). For maths — or "math" as my North American colleagues would say — a record 45.2 achieved grade A, up from 44 per cent last year.

So, great joy all round then, that Britain's kids are getting brighter? Er, well, no. As usual, the newspapers were full of stories that standards are declining in Britain's schools.

How so? Simple. Better results, instead of being seen as a sign of success, are taken as evidence that the exams must be easier. Instead of skilling-up, it is said, Britain's schoolkids are being dumbed down.

"Admissions tutors at some top universities say maths A-level is easy," wrote the Financial Times. "Some A-grade candidates taking science degrees need remedial teaching in maths." Also, the employers' organization CBI is worried that less than a sixth of schoolchildren continue studying maths beyond 16, compared to two-thirds in France.

Ironically, if the results were getting worse, you can be sure the papers would also say that the kids are getting dumber. Poor kids just can't win.

This year, Jerry Jarvis, the head of Britain's largest exam board, Edexcel, joined the debate. Jarvis said the system needed looking at because, with so many students getting the top marks, it was becoming hard for universities to discriminate between students (although universities can ask for pupils' actual marks as well as their grades).

To help improve the system, a new top grade, A*, will be introduced next year. So, how long it will be before 45 per cent of students are getting that grade, leading to more accusations of dumbing down, and the introduction of a new top grade, A** and so on?  I'm only asking.